Beth's Visit

I can't believe I haven't posted this yet, but my good friend from Los Angeles came to visit at the beginning of the month. We had such a great time together. We both LOVE cooking, so we started out Friday morning, our first day together in the italian district picking up fresh veggies, italian cheese, and fresh sheets of pasta. We then hoofed it around town shopping on south street, to the Liberty Bell and Constitution Hall. From there we decided to head over to the Mutter Museum, a museum of medical oddities. Lots of bones and body parts and a shruken head from Africa (?). All I remember is the head not the history. Very interesting. We walked the town from the north to the south, east to west, exhausted our selves and went home to make a feast of homemade cheese artichoke ravioli. Why didn't I take a picture of the food?? It was SO delicious and beautiful besides.

Saturday we spent at Betsy Ross's house and the surrounding neighborhood which is filled with local art galleries. My favorite kind of neighborhood. That night we got a sitter and took Beth into town for a BYOB resturant Philly style. So delicous.

Sunday Beth cooked Banana Pecan Fried Wontons with custard and together we cooked a chile tomatillo roasted chicken. We love food.

We had such a great time together, she's so great with the kids, and I'm so lucky to have a friend like her. Here are some pictures from the trip.

Autumn Leaves

Happy Halloween!!!

The post everyone is waiting for, checking for, the reason blogs exist (in my world anyway)... TA-DA The cuties in their costumes. Eat your hear out Grandma!

We went trick-or-treating with some friends, so here's the crew.

She's ready to go!!! you can see me in the background. I'm Snow White's evil step-mother. Thank you Shelley!
Ava is Snow White

Ezra is Dopey the Dwarf. I made him a purple hat, but of course in the chaos to meet our friends, I couldn't find it. Velcro was coming undone by the end of the night. His shirt is supposed to be buttoned, but....you know how homemade costumes go.


Ezra sure was a trooper. His normal bedtime is 7. We didn't start trick or treating until 7:30 and he was walking along, knocking, "trick-or-treating," and "thank-you-ing." He braved steps and ditched in the dark no problem, and LOVED the Halloween decorations everywhere, especially one house with strobe lights on these huge skeletons. He's a partier!

Here's to Families!

I have been totally head over heels in love with my family lately. Ever get that way? I just had to post a few pictures and a video of those sweet moments that can be easily taken for granted and not celebrated as they should. Here's to families!!!!
Ava and Ezra taking a nap together. Not really, but when I asked Ezra if he wanted to sleep in Ava's bed for his nap, they both jumped in together.



Ava has always had a really hard time going to bed on her own, and lately she's had a miracle change. We'll do the regular routine and leave and the last few nights when we've gone to check on her, she's tucked herself in, wrapped herself all up, and is sleeping soundly.

Grandpa Mark and Grandma Paula sent Ava a Halloween card and some stickers. Ava decided to use her stickers to decorate Dad's face. They wouldn't stick to his whiskers, so that's why his forehead and cheeks have gotten all the attention.

A Scare

Have you ever been attacked by a tree? Well, we have! Or, more accurately, our house has. On Tuesday night I was minding my own business talking to Bekah on the phone when bang and crash! Our house shook-was it a bomb, a rock? No, it was so windy, that a branch the size of a full grown tree had broken off the tree in our backyard and blew into our house, breaking our sun room window and destroying our barbecue. It had hit the roofline, breaking it in half and smashing our gutter, so half the tree was on our roof with branches pushed up against Ezra's window (which thankfully withstood the blow) and half leaning against our house and through our window. We have a great landlord who came over the next day, sawed up and removed the tree and has ordered a new window for us. We're glad it's the sunroom window so we can close the sliding glass door and keep all the cold air outside!
Yes, that branch has pierced our window.

Fitzgerald Fun

One of the things we love about being out East is seeing friends/family we don't get to see very often. The Fitzgerald's are long time friends (Mike's known Fitz since middle school, Fitz and I have known each other longer than Mike and I have known each other, and we've known Maryanne ever since she's entered the picture). They're living in DC and came up for a weekend just to hang out and have some good old quality friend time. It was great to see them and their little girl, Emily got along great with our Ava. We wish they were even closer!!!

Ezra's Haircut

I went to pick up some friends from the airport, so Mike had Daddy-duty. When I came back he and Ez had had some male bonding time and Ez got a new due. Here's a before:

And two after's:

Mike told me that Ezra's hair looked too dorky, that he didn't know anyone whose hair was cut with long bangs. I hadn't laughed so hard in a long time, both over the new style, and the fact that Mike wanted his boy to look "cool" and "tough."

When Mike came home the next day, it was his turn to be surprised at a new style. We call it "Buzzed by Mom" and let me tell you he looks pretty tough, especially when we spike it. :o) Don't look too close. Practice makes perfect, and I'm definitely not there yet!


Please use our poll and vote which haircut you like best:
A-Long
B-Long and Spiked
C-Buzzed